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Thursday, November 29, 2007

Are You Ready for Some Football?

I was once told by a male friend during an extremely dry dating spell (this was back in 2000 or so before I had gotten back together with Mr. H. and became Mrs. H.) that he didn't know why I didn't have a boyfriend cause I seemed like I'd make a pretty good girlfriend. His reasons for saying this were (1) while he totally had the hots for me, he couldn't act on them because he was married, thus we kept our friendship strictly platonic (2) I love movies such as The Matrix and Star Wars and (3) I will watch sports.

I think I've mentioned here before that while I'm not a huge sports fan, I do enjoy the sports. I enjoy watching a winning team (which doesn't make living in Chicago right about now any fun) more than teams that lose (unless of course you happen to be a MLB team located on the South Side) - but that doesn't mean I don't still like to get out there and watch the Cubs and the Bears. In fact, watching the Bears last Sunday was pretty exciting wasn't it? I mean, I turned the TV over at half time because (a) they were loosing (b) Grossman was still throwing the ball (c) even when G. could actually throw the ball well, no one was catching it and (c) they were loosing. Mr. H. went to take a shower so I switched over to TBS and settled in to watch Stir of Echos. However, Mr. H. got out of the shower and insisted I switch it back. And get this, he's not even a Bears fan. He likes the Browns. Which is the team I've basically been watching all season (at least they have a decent record). And I support the Browns like they're my home team because Mr. H. likes them. I even purchased a Browns shirt to wear while watching the games (and also for Alexander's football-themed birthday party - put hey, it's gonna get lots of use). So yeah, even though in past years I haven't been that in to football other than when the Bears actually look like they're doing well, I've jumped aboard this year (my sister having the NFL ticket and a big screen TV hasn't hurt either 'cause I really hated going to smokey bars to watch Browns games with a bunch of drunken louts).

I've gotten into it so much, I kinda want to watch the Packers/Cowboys game tonight. And, since I have Dish Network, I will be able to, because I have the NFL network. But let me tell you, and this is only because I've been paying attention to the NFL this year, the NFL is really screwed up. Maybe this is old news to all you out there - but seriously. On Comcast cable, NFL network is an additional pay channel on its "Sports Tier" (actually, that's a Comcast issue - another one of my favorite companies). And on some other cable companies out there, you can have the NFL network on your lineup, but when the six or seven games a year that they broadcast solely on NFL network are on, you're stuck watching some History of the NFL show (I bet it's riveting). So add that to the whole not paying for their players pensions stuff and the NFL totally sounds like a company I want to run out and work for (maybe not as a tight end, but I could be one of those chain carrying guys).

Does this mean I'm going to protest and not watch the NFL? No. Why? Because, like I said, I'm a good supportive wife who indulges her husband's desire to watch sports (at least it's only some sports not EVERY sport) and even enjoys it. I'm good like that.